21.07.17

Newspapers and out of home advertisements, stalwart emblems of traditional advertising media, are still managing to hold on to consumer attention despite increasing competition from newer digital platforms, while magazines have made a negligible impact, a new survey on Trinidad & Tobago media consumption habits shows.

Newspapers are the fourth most noticed media in Trinidad & Tobago, behind, television, radio and Facebook, with 31 percent of respondents naming it as their most noticed medium, and 34 percent as their most preferred. OOH came in sixth, with 21 percent of people saying it was one of their most noticed media, despite just 12 percent calling it their most preferred. Magazines failed to make an impact. Only four percent of people named online newspapers as their most noticed media, and just two percent their most preferred.

cmb structured the framework of the survey; it was conducted by data analytics firms Lucent Research Ltd and Sacoda Serv Ltd, and featured interviews with over 900 people from demographics that best reflected the latest census data.

Whereas television and radio have managed to affirm their market-leading position as the country’s most noticed and preferred advertising media, it has been more difficult for newspapers, magazines and OOH (billboards, bus shelters, bus wraps) to clearly define their niche as media consumption tastes evolve. They have, however, attempted to adapt to digital trends by offering online versions of their products, as in the case of newspapers and magazines, as well as dynamic digital billboards.

Approximately half of the sample (52.3 percent) said they regularly read newspapers, while the other half was almost equally split between reading occasionally or not at all; 53 percent of people who did read they paper said they read every day. Of those who read the newspapers, approximately 30.2 percent spent between 30 minutes and one hour reading the newspaper, while 26 percent spent about 20 minutes.

Some of the main reasons people cited for not reading the paper, however, were that it was to difficult to access, the content was too depressing; they found the information through other sourced; and they had no time.

Newspapers, though, still have clout as one of most trusted source for news behind television across all demographics besides Generation Z (15-24 years old), with 25 percent of respondents overall calling it their most preferred news medium. Interestingly, while only 3.2 percent chose online newspapers as their preferred news source, 15.7 percent chose Facebook. Facebook is not, however, primarily a news producer, so much of the content consumed by its users has been generated by news outlets and shared on social media; 20 percent of people who used social media said they used the platform to catch up on reading news.

Magazines, on the other hand, were not especially popular, with 83 percent of people saying they didn’t read them, and nearly 67 percent saying the medium simply was not appealing. Of those that did read them, only one third actually bought them, while 41 percent accessed them through waiting rooms or office lobbies. Probably the most interesting reveal about magazine readership, though, was that out of those who said they read magazines, over 70 percent were men.

OOH advertising proved to be resilient, with 48 percent of people saying they paid attention to this medium, and a quarter of them recalled seeing at least one to three ads a day. Not surprisingly, billboards—both static and digital—were the most noticed (35 percent and 42 percent, respectively). Most respondents (62.5 percent) said they spent on average one to ten seconds looking at OOH media; 62 percent said time spent in traffic affected whether or not they noticed OOH ads.

As with any comprehensive marketing plan, targeting key demographics is essential. Despite what might be seen as a falling market share in a more competitive environment, newspapers, OOH and even magazines still have the ability to reach mass market audiences, as well as appeal to niche consumers. Business publications, for example, have a generally loyal following. Depending on a brand’s goal, strategically placed ads in these niche publications is a near guarantee that the message is disseminated to and seen by a significant proportion of those demographics it is specifically intended to reach.

Certain content also works best in different media for maximum impact, and formats such as newspapers, OOH and magazine still offer useful platforms to articulate bold visuals or in-depth copy in ways that other media might not be able to leverage. As the survey suggests, especially for print media, people peruse at a more leisurely pace, increasing opportunities for lasting impressions. Fundamentally, despite the introduction of new media, traditional media has its place as an important option for media planners and marketers. The aim of any media plan is the maximise exposure, and that is only achieved by ensuring a brand has a presence in every medium in which its primary target is interested.